“People suffer and we see this”: a qualitative study of the forms of patient psychological distress encountered by physiotherapists

BACKGROUND Psychological distress is a common response to many conditions physiotherapists treat. It is also common for a person's experience of distress to be associated with multiple stressors. OBJECTIVE This qualitative study explored physiotherapists' perceptions of the types of patient psychological distress they encountered in their clinical practice. METHODS A qualitative research approach was adopted. Twenty-three physiotherapists were recruited through purposive maximum variation sampling. To participate, physiotherapists had to self-report having encountered at least one patient they perceived to be experiencing psychological distress in the last 12 months. Data analysis was completed using Iterative Thematic Inquiry. RESULTS Five themes were identified in the study: 1) distress extends beyond physical health issues; 2) fear of the future; 3) the emotional toll of loss; 4) trauma is often part of the story; and 5) losing hope. CONCLUSION The results of this study highlight that patient psychological distress presents in a variety of forms and appears to be multifaceted and multifactorial in nature. As patients' experiences of psychological distress are relevant to physiotherapy practice, mental health capabilities need to be embedded within physiotherapy training.

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